Hermetic Heart,Bulletproof Body
by metallicgreen
Summary: "She had thought that the transition from childhood friends to rivals would sweep away moments like this, yet there he is, standing by her in a time of need." They could have been the greatest love story of their generation, but too bad Team Rocket plays with guns now - a single gunshot drives one of them down the path of vengeance. – OldRivalShipping, BluexLeaf, Mafia!TeamRocket


Title: Hermetic Heart,Bulletproof Body**  
**

Summary:"She had thought that the transition from childhood friends to rivals would sweep away moments like this, yet there he is, standing by her in a time of need." They could have been the greatest love story of their generation, but too bad Team Rocket plays with guns now - a single gunshot drives one of them down the path of vengeance. – OldRivalShipping, BluexLeaf, Mafia!TeamRocket

Hermetic:

her·met·ic (hr-mtk) also **her·met·i·cal** (-kl)

_adj._

**1. **Completely sealed, especially against the escape or entry of air.

**2. **Impervious to outside interference or influence: the hermetic confines of an isolated life.

-freedictionary

**A/N:** Note that Team Rocket is in Kanto and Johto at the same time.

* * *

Mt. Moon

Leaf is alone when she encounters Team Rocket for the first time; a shadowy figure with a red R staining his black shirt like blood.

She set out on this journey to conquer the world and shove it in Blue's stupid face; fighting organized crime never really appeared on her list of things to do. Then again, Leaf has never been patient enough to keep lists.

Ultimately, she is her own downfall - Leaf is young and innocent, still at the magical age where the world is just within her reach if she runs a little faster, stretches her arms a little further. Her world has no gravity, no consequences to tie her down.

It is a reckless idea at best – _what if she loses and he takes her Pokemon? _– and sticking-a-finger-in-an-electric-socket stupid at worst – _what if she loses, he takes her Pokemon, and she ends up on some sort of Team Rocket hit list or he has a gun ?_ – but the Team Rocket member is alone and appears unarmed. _Besides_, Leaf tells herself, _he could hurt someone else and I would be partially responsible for not stopping him_.

Leaf rushes towards the man, hand fluttering over the Pokeballs of her Charmander and Geodude. Cold blue eyes immediately look up to meet hers.

He says nothing. He stares at Leaf in silence, blue eyes chilling the air around him.

Leaf has no idea what to do, an unusual position for her.

His eyes lower to the two Pokeballs at her waist, so Leaf – sweet, innocent Leaf – assumes he expects a battle. Confidence returning, Leaf grabs a Pokeball.

"Charmander!" She calls as she effortlessly heaves the Pokeball into the air. The orange Pokemon appears in a flash of light with a growl, eager to fight, eager to please Leaf.

The man does not move. He slowly and deliberately reaches into his coat – Leaf notices his complete lack of Pokeballs for the first time- and steadily pulls out a small, black object.

Carefully and leisurely, as if he has all the time in the world and this is just a game to him, he aims the gun directly at Leaf.

In the second before he pulls the revolver, Leaf knows she has made a mistake.

There is a dull bang – to think that the device capable of putting man and Pokemon on the same level is so quiet! – but Leaf feels no pain.

For half a second, there is complete silence and the man with the blue eyes and blue hair just stares at her.

There is a horrible, inhuman screech, then Leaf looks at Charmander and Charmander looks at Leaf and Leaf looks at the gapping, bleeding hole in Charmander's shoulder and Leaf knows Charmander took the bullet for her.

Leaf screams and something shatters.

* * *

Pewter City Pokemon Center

Leaf is sitting at a table, rolling a small silver cylinder between her palms when the door behind her opens.

"Leaf?" There is concern in his voice that has never been there before, but Leaf's eyes remain on the object in her hands. Blue enters the room cautiously, looking at her the entire time as if he expects her to suddenly break down.

"Hey, look at me…" Blue seats himself across the table from Leaf, his brown eyes seeking any sign of the girl he grew up with. Leaf's eyes remain glued downwards.

Blue reaches into his pocket – the vision of a blue-eyed blue-haired man reaching into his coat flashes through Leaf's mind, but is gone before she can do anything – and extracts a Pokeball. He places it on the table.

"I caught this in Mt. Moon. I don't know if you want it, but it's yours. It's not much, but I figured you might want another Pokemon." His voice is gruff, but the words come across smoothly, almost as if they are practiced.

Blue leans forward. "I called my Grandpa and told him what happened. He says since just Charmander's shoulder was…injured, he might be able to do something for Charmander. He wants you to head back to Pallet Town and pay him a visit as soon as possible. I'm going to head back too."

Leaf nods slowly. Blue does not smile or hold her hand, but in his own way, he does care. The two sit in silence for a while before Blue stands up. "I'm sorry, Leaf. Just – don't do anything crazy, okay?" He mutters thickly. Leaf nods again, and Blue leaves the room.

Alone, Leaf brings the small silver object up to her face. After the surgery to remove the bullet from Charmander's shoulder, the nurse had grudgingly allowed her to keep it. The bullet is cold in her fingers, and she images it piercing Charmander's soft skin before destroying tissue and muscle.

She knows her heart was its intended final resting place.

Leaf turns the bullet over. Some sort of design is carved into the bullet – a half circle with a line through it. A symbol.

_What kind of man_, Leaf wonders, _is vain enough to carve his personal symbol into a bullet? A bullet that is intended to kill?_

Still, it is a way for her to find him.

* * *

Pallet Town, Professor Oak's Lab

Professor Oak shakes his head as he gently strokes the Charmander's damaged shoulder. "Charmander isn't going to be able to fully use that arm, the joint is too injured. Due to the place where the bullet struck, it is unlikely that it will develop a right wing when it evolves in a Charizard." Professor Oak is nothing like the kindly old grandfather figure she remembers – he is professional, diligent, machine-like.

He continues talking, but Leaf only watches the pain in Charmander's enormous blue eyes. It does not understand what happened or why it hurts or why Leaf looks so sad. Charmander coos at its owner, trying to earn a smile, but Leaf only sees the gunshot replay again and again in her mind.

Professor Oak asks if she has any questions – _why_,_ why did I think it would be a good idea why what is wrong with me I destroyed my Pokemon why didn't I just run _– but she says no, recalls Charmander, and strolls out of the lab.

Blue is waiting outside the lab, but she brushes past him and keeps walking.

"Leaf!" He trails after her, frown marring his face. "What did Gramps say?"

She shakes her head, and his face softens. "Hey…You know I'm here for you, right?" His tone is sincere, but she has never seen this side of him in the many years of their friendship. He steps forward shakily, as if entering unfamiliar territory. "Is there anything I can do?"

As a breeze picks up, her skirt gently billows around her thighs and sends her hair flying. She places one hand on her hat as she delicately shakes her head no.

Blue cracks a small smile. "Well, how about fishing?"

For the first time since the incident, Leaf laughs. During the summers of their childhoods, they had often tied gummy worms to sticks and pretended to go "fishing" in the water at the edge of town, sticky hands intertwined before they understood its meaning.

"Fine. You going to fall into the water and tell on me again?" She brushes a strand of hair out of her face and gives him a playful look.

Blue scrowls, but she can tell her reaction pleases him. "You pushed me that time."

"Did not!"

The banter continues as they make their way to the water south of town, neither side willing to give up. As they pull out their (real) fishing rods and fix them with bait (not gummy worms), they fall silent and enjoy the moonbeams dancing on the water and each other's company.

Leaf studies Blue's profile from underneath her thick eyelashes, admiring his look of concentration as he stares at the water. She had thought that the transition from childhood friends to rivals would sweep away moments like this, yet there he is, standing by her in a time of need.

She remembers their first battle…

(_Painted nails clutch at Charmander's Pokeball as her patented half-smile-half-smirk-full-confidence look tangoes across her face. Blue rolls his eyes, but ten minutes later she deals him his first loss before leaving with a smile. Upset by its owner's frustration, Squirtle retreats into its Pokeball and refuses to come out. Blue spends the next two hours coaxing the indignant Pokemon back out of its Pokeball, muttering something about "that damn girl" under his breath the entire time_.)

Leaf throws her head back and stares at the moon. "This isn't us…" She mutters, breaking the silence. "Not anymore, anyway. We're supposed to be chasing each other around all of Kanto, collecting badges, motivating each other to do better."

Blue turns his head to face her, his facial expression hard to decipher. "I just want to make sure you're okay." He slides his hand closer to her like he is going to touch her, but it stops and rests between them.

Leaf tucks her knees into her chest. "I appreciate it, but what happened was my fault…I think I just need to be alone." He begins to protest, but she cuts him off. "Look, you didn't do anything wrong. It's just, I need to think."

She buries her face into her knees and refuses to look at him. He sighs, but this is simply _Leaf_, how she processes grief and deals with situations, and he cannot change that about her. "Just know it wasn't your fault, Team Rocket is responsible. Like I said before, don't do anything crazy." He calls over his shoulder as he heads home, leaving Leaf alone with her thoughts.

Leaf remains still, trapped in her thoughts, until she feels something tug at her rod. She yanks the rod and finds herself face to face with a Shellder.

Shellders have always creeped her out somewhat; they are essentially a pink tongue and two large eyes looming ominously out of a purple shell. The eyes are especially nerve-wracking – they accuse her of allowing her Pokemon to be harmed through her own recklessness, putting herself above everything else, and pushing away Blue twice today when he only wanted to help.

Team Rocket is responsible, according to Blue. Perhaps, to some extent, that is true - she realizes she is not the only one affected by Team Rocket. They fight and they steal and they kill without repercussion, and no one stands up to them because they use bullets.

But Leaf could.

Leaf eyes the Shellder, but it sits harmlessly at the water's edge, watching her back. She tosses a Pokeball at the purple Pokemon, and it snaps shut without a fight.

Leaf reaches into her bag and pulls out the Pokeball Blue gave her. She releases it, and a towering rock snake appears. Leaf smiles, patting her new Onix.

Onix is not made of flesh like Charmander; Onix's body is pure rock.

Onix is bulletproof.

Leaf picks up Shellder's Pokeball. She can use a waterstone to evolve it into a Cloyster; a Cloyster's shell is impenetrable.

Leaf's hand runs over Geodude's Pokeball – another bulletproof rock Pokemon.

Smiling, she pulls the bullet that was supposed to kill her out of her bag. The familiar symbol gleams back at her, and Leaf knows her target.

xxxx

One Month Later - Lavender Town

An Onix stands in front of Pokemon Tower, the moonlight and shadows making its long body appear even taller. Leaf sits atop its head, slender legs gracefully dangling down the side. She leans forward, appraising her captured prey.

The defeated Grunt is still fuming, rubbing at the red R on his chest like he has failed it. He stares at her defiantly, not budging.

Leaf merely smiles. The moment just after their defeat is the best part, she decides. Each Grunt reacts differently; some laugh, as if it were a joke, some curse, some refuse to believe they have lost. One had even thrown a metal coat at her, which her Onix had thankfully snagged with its tail before it hit her, then ran off into the darkness. All have failed to provide her with what she wanted, but she suspects this one will be different.

The Grunt crosses and uncrosses his arms, clearly unnerved by Leaf's silence. "What do you want?" He demands, although he is not the one in control.

Leaf's smile widens. "Information." Her reply is cool, calculated. She flicks a hand in the air, sending a Pokeball flying. A Graveler appears in a flash of light right in front of the Grunt.

Graveler, newly evolved, flexes its arms, ready to do everything and anything to serve Leaf. The Grunt takes a step back, but Graveler does not harm him, instead extending one rocky arm. Suspicious, the Grunt cautiously leans forward. A single bullet sits on Graveler's palm, the inscribed half cycle with a line through it clear even in the moonlight.

"I've never seen this before." The Grunt asserts, but his response is too quick and Graveler sees the flash of recognition in his eyes. Graveler growls, waiting for a command from its master, but Leaf merely throws another Pokeball into the air. A Cloyster materializes behind the Grunt, and with that the Grunt is effectively surrounded by Leaf's Pokemon.

Aware of the gravity of his situation, the Grunt finally relents. "It's a bow and arrow. Archer's symbol." He grumbles.

"Archer?" Leaf asks, eyebrows raised. She tries to sound aloof and disinterested, but she has mowed down dozens of Grunts and never gotten an answer before. Her excitement betrays her with her every movement. "Archer." She mumbles the name to herself, finally putting a name to the blue-eyed monster she sees in her darkest thoughts.

The Grunt nods, resigned to his fate. "He's a Team Rocket Executive. He works here and in Johto. He usually wears a white suit, but sometimes he wears the Grunt uniform to fit in."

Leaf smiles. "Where can I find Archer?" She asks, but they hear the sound of approaching footsteps and they both freeze.

Leaf makes out a decidedly male figure in the darkness – likely another Grunt. She wordlessly gestures to her Pokemon. Cloyster and Graveler move closer to Onix, ready to defend and attack.

Spiky brown hair slowly becomes apparent. "Leaf?" The figure asks, and suddenly it is Blue who is trading off between eyeing the Team Rocket Grunt with suspicion and squinting up at Leaf.

The Grunt takes advantage of Leaf's surprise and bolts, leaving Leaf and Blue alone.

"Why the hell are you messing with Team Rocket?! Didn't I tell you not to do anything crazy?" He shouts at her, but Leaf is too numb to hear him.

He said her name in front of a member of Team Rocket. They know who she is now.

Her rage builds as she clatters down Onix. After weeks of careful preparation, after countless battles with Team Rocket, after finally finding someone willing to spill information, Blue shows up out of nowhere and ruins it.

She jabs a Pokeball in his face, shutting him up. "Battle me." She commands, but she is angry and flustered and unfocused. It affects her Pokemon, and Blue is able to take out Graveler, Onix, and Cloyster. His last Pokemon, a Pidgeotto, stands triumphantly on the field as Leaf bitterly recalls her fainted Cloyster.

Blue raises an eyebrow. "Don't you have one more Pokemon?"

Leaf's fingers twitch over Charmander's Pokeball, but she remembers the pained look in Charmander's eyes the last time it battled (when exactly was that? Definitely a while ago…) and how it had struggled but could not keep up, so Leaf's hand drops to her side and she violently shakes her head no. Blue shoots her a disappointed look but says nothing.

He follows her into the Pokemon Center, but goes to the computer while she hands her Pokemon to Nurse Joy. Ignoring him, she leaves, but he continues to follow her. Annoyed, she turns around to face him. He momentarily appears caught off guard, but catches himself.

"Look." He throws a Pokeball at her, and she reflexively catches it. "Your team is really unbalanced – you really should use a greater variety of Pokemon. That's an Abra-"

Leaf cuts him off. "Stop. Just stop. I don't need you following me around and doing whatever you're doing. I am perfectly capable of taking care of myself." She can barely stand to face him after he blew her cover and ruined her mission.

Blue frowns. "Clearly not. You shouldn't fight Team Rocket, you know damn well what they're capable of. And I'm just trying to help-"

"Help me? How, by screaming my name in front of Team Rocket? They know my name now because of you!" Leaf's anger returns, but to his credit, Blue does appear uncomfortable. He shifts uncertainly.

"Shit. Leaf, I wasn't thinking. I was just really surprised to see you battling Team Rocket. I thought you'd be smart enough to stay away from them. They're dangerous."

"And now they know my name." Her entire body is shaking in anger. Does he have any idea what he has done? What if they track her mother down?

"Leaf, I'm sorry, I just want to help you-"

"I don't want your help!" Her voice is shrill.

"Really? Cause you seemed fine with taking my Onix." Blue smirks. Without thinking, Leaf grabs Onix's Pokeball from her waist and hurls it straight at Blue, hitting him square in the chest.

The Pokeball drops to the ground with a thud. Breathing heavily, Leaf's eyes sink down to rest on the Pokeball. She senses Blue's eyes on her, but refuses to meet them.

After what seems like a decade, Blue leans down to pick it up. The two stare at everything but each other as unstated apologies float around them. Finally, Leaf holds up Abra's Pokeball. "Trade?" She asks, and Blue smirks at the trace of her old self before they switch Pokeballs.

They walk through the sleeping town together, talking about trivial topics to ease the tension. The atmosphere has almost lifted when a lull in conversation occurs; finally, Blue gives Leaf a serious look.

"You have to leave Team Rocket alone." He explains, somewhat-concealed worry dancing in his eyes. "They're dangerous. I'm serious, Leaf. I know you're upset about what happened in Mt. Moon, but let the police take care of it. They can handle it. You left home to challenge the Pokemon League, not fight Team Rocket. Just promise me you'll stop, okay?" Blue looks fragile, like he can easily be broken by her response, and Leaf hates it.

Leaf is already in too deep; dozens of Grunts have battled her. They know she is looking for information about them and she finally found it. Team Rocket is going to start targeting her any day now, particularly since they know her name; nothing she can do at this point will change that.

It is hard not to laugh at Blue's suggestion to rely on the police. Kanto police had been dealing with Team Rocket for years, but Kanto was no better off. Sure, they made the occasional arrest, but largely seemed content with leaving Team Rocket alone. More often than not, Gym Leaders dealt with Team Rocket, but Gym Leaders were far and few between. Kanto needs a force that can move throughout all of Kanto like the police, but with the effectiveness of a Gym Leader.

Leaf could become the change Kanto needed.

Still, she knows Blue will not leave her alone if he thinks she is hunting Team Rocket. "Of course." She replies smoothly. Leaf spends her time among criminals and liars; lying to protect her interests has become second nature. It is a decision she has already made and cannot turn back on.

Blue visibly relaxes, and the two enjoy simply enjoy each other's company, Blue gazing at the stars and Leaf thinking about bows and arrows and blue-eyed, blue-haired monsters named Archer.

She knows she will have to cut Blue loose for his own protection at some point – if Team Rocket sees them together too often, they might start targeting him as well – but for now, she is content to enjoy his presence while she still can.

She even forgets her anger at Blue for revealing her name. _It's like a trade_, she tells herself, _a name for a name_.

* * *

The Next Day - Lavender Town

Leaf gazes at the intimidating Pokemon in front of her; it consists purely of harsh angles and grit. Its mismatched teeth stretch into a crooked grin underneath glowing red eyes.

Her Onix has evolved in a Steelix.

_(One had even thrown a metal coat at her, which her Onix had thankfully snagged with its tail before it hit her, then ran off into the darkness.)_

Steelix evolves into Onix when traded with a metal coat; her impromptu trade with Blue must have caused the evolution.

She runs excited hands over its side; Steelix is shiny and hard and cold. _This_, she thinks, _is truly bulletproof_.

Steelix's sneer widens, proud that its transformation pleases Leaf.

_What a grand combination_, she muses, _a leaf drifting through the wind and steel, unchangeable and unmovable_.

_Both can be destroyed by fire_, says a small voice in the back of her mind, and Leaf uneasily grips at Charmander's Pokeball, the only Pokeball she has not used in months.

* * *

Leaf slowly but surely becomes obsessed with the Steel-type. It is the ultimate in defense; unyielding and impenetrable. The Grunts fear her now; she sees it in their posture and the glint of recognition in their eyes when she approaches them. Her name and ferocity are widely circulated through the underworld now.

Wishing to be like her Steel Pokemon, Leaf invests in a concealable body armor, ever weary of the stray (or intentional) bullet.

As ever, she deals in names and information. She easily extracts the names Ariana, Petrel, and Proton from Grunts; in comparison to before, the Grunts are almost talkative now. (She wonders if someone in Team Rocket _wants_ her to have more information, if she is being jerked around like a puppet.)

Archer seems to have a base somewhere near or around Lavender Town. Leaf searches every inch of Pokemon Tower, but comes up empty-handed.

(The Grunt who gives her that information battles with a Bellsprout. Her hand touches Charmander's Pokeball because of the type advantage, but Cloyster comes out instead. _Later_, she tells herself, _now is not the time_.)

* * *

Blue calls her every now and then, but Leaf never answers. It hurts at first, but she grows used to it. The calls become less frequent, but he never quite gives up.

(It is funny, really. She can invest in all the concealable body armor she likes, but when the hurt is on the inside, there is no defense.)

She knows she will have to face Blue again at some point, but she also knows the location of two Team Rocket hideouts and that is more pressing.

* * *

Leaf researches Steel Pokemon and is sorely disappointed to find that they are rare in Kanto. Upon hearing that Scyther evolves into a Steel-type Pokemon under the same trading circumstances as Onix, she immediately sets out and captures a Scyther.

It is a shame she has no one to trade with.

* * *

Route 10 - Power Plant

Leaf could kick herself.

She is perched on an outside ledge of the Rock Tunnel, looking down at the Power Plant. Graveler sits a few feet away from her, its bulky arms straining as it does pushups. Leaf absentminded leans against Cloyster as she watches Steelix dig holes and contently slither about.

Lavender Town connects to Route 10. The last time she had been in Lavender town was when she saw Blue, and a Team Rocket Grunt threw a Metal Coat at her.

Wild Magnemite are known to carry Metal Coats. Where are Magnemite located in Kanto?

_The Power Plant._

Leaf could have made the trip to the Power Plant months ago without having to battle swarms of Grunts for clues.

However, as a group of Grunts appear carrying boxes at precisely noon, just like the message she had intercepted said, Leaf can't help but grin at the thought of more Grunts to mess with.

Leaf nods at Steelix, who disappears into one of its holes. Graveler noisy rolls down the side of Rock Tunnel, arms and legs pressed against its body.

The Grunts notice Graveler immediately and frantically shout directions at each other, deciding to make a run for the Power Plant. Still hidden at the top of Rock Tunnel with Leaf, Cloyster Graveler lets out a battle cry as it rolls towards the Grunts, just as Cloyster uses Protect. A shimmery barrier materializes in front of the entrance of the Power Plant, preventing the Grunts from entering. Leaf smiles thinly before leaning forward to witness the final stage of her plan.

The confused Grunts send out their Pokemon to battle Graveler, failing to notice the ground trembling slightly beneath them. Leaf counts to five. The ground beneath the Grunt's feet collapses as Steelix reappears, crooked smile triumphant. It looks down at the Grunts, clearly pleased with its handiwork.

Graveler's Rock Throw knocks out the last of the Team Rocket Pokemon, leaving the Grunts defenseless. Leaf recalls Cloyster and climbs down from her hiding place before sashaying to the edge of the pit to peer at the trapped Grunts.

One of them meets her gaze, clearly in awe. "How?" He asks, but Leaf merely smiles. He does not need to know that Graveler was merely a distraction while Steelix dug tunnels under their feet until the ground was not strong enough to support their weight. It is a tactic Leaf has used a few times against Team Rocket, but they never seem to catch on.

She nods at Steelix, who lunges at the Grunts. They recoil in fear, but Steelix merely picks the crates up with its mouth and sets them in front of Leaf. Graveler opens each one and shows the contents to Leaf.

Just as she expected, each crate, save for the last one, is full of gleaming guns. The final crate contains bullets; bullets inscribed with a line through a half circle – Archer's symbol. Leaf's eyes narrow. "Destroy," Leaf commands, and Steelix obediently swallows the crates in five bites, happy for the special treat.

Satisfied, Leaf turns to the Grunts. "One of you will be taking me on a guided tour of the Power Plant. Any volunteers?" Refusing to betray Team Rocket, none of them speak. Leaf smiles as she draws rope out of her bag and tosses it at Graveler. "The rest of you will rot in jail. _Any volunteers?_"

As expected, a hand shoots up.

The other Grunts glare at the traitor, but Graveler leaps into the pit before any of them can react. The boulder Pokemon's four hands tie all but one of the Grunts together.

Graveler wraps its arms around the bound Grunts, eliciting protests. Ignoring them, it leaps out of the pit and disappears over Rock Tunnel with the Grunts.

Leaf glances at Steelix, who instinctively moves closer. This is her least favorite part of the plan; Graveler must take the Grunts over Rock Tunnel and to the nearby Pokemon Center, where Nurse Joy agreed to hold them until the police came. If they took Leaf's anonymous phone call seriously, they should be there within the hour; if not, Nurse Joy is supposed to call them.

There are too many variables – What if Graveler is attacked? What if the Grunts somehow escape? – but Leaf always holds steady to her plans.

Shaking her head, Leaf turns to face the Grunt. She has no intention of taking him with her; it was merely a test to see which one was most likely to give out information, the weakest link. He stares back guiltily.

"What's in there?" Leaf demands.

"It's storage. Guns, mostly."

"Who is in there?"

"I don't know."

"Who controls it?"

"Archer."

Leaf's eyes harden in resolve. She has finally found Archer's base. She allows herself a slight smile, but otherwise remains composed.

"Describe the layout to me."

The Grunt chokes out a reasonably-detailed description before clamming up, just as Graveler reappears behind Leaf with a thud. Leaf nods, and Graveler swoops back into the pit.

"Hey! We had a deal!" The Grunt struggles against Graveler, but the boulder Pokemon easily overwhelms him. Graveler holds him with one arm, and he stares helplessly up at Leaf.

"Yup. Too bad I'm a liar." Leaf winks at him before Graveler jumps out of the pit and climbs over Rock Tunnel again, Grunt in hand. Leaf waits for Graveler to reappear before motioning to the abandoned Power Plant.

"Let's go."

* * *

The Power Plant

Graveler rolls through another crate, destroying it, while Steelix contently munches on the remains. Leaf glances at her PokeGear. She has been in the Power Plant for half an hour and only run into a few lookouts, which she had left defeated and tied up. She and her Pokemon have already been through the entire Power Plant, save for one room.

Leaf shouts a command, and Graveler approaches the unassuming door. Finding it locked, the Pokemon immediately slams its body against the door until the door is a mess of twisted metal at its feet.

A swarm of wild Magnemite zoom out of the room, buzzing and whispering to each other but leaving Leaf and her Pokemon alone. Leaf peers in to find that the room is empty, save for unmarked crates and the occasional stray Magnemite. Steelix meanders in and begins devouring the crates while Graveler takes to ramming into the walls in search for any hidden doors. Leaf cautiously follows her Pokemon into the room.

(She does not seem to realize that the Magnemite are merely a distraction, or that they are avoiding the far left corner.)

One Magnemite zooms by her, and she notices a small metal object stuck in its left horseshoe magnet.

(In the far left corner, white gloved hands grip the gun with the even chaos of a man who knows his time is near but intends to make one last stand. It is a matter of seconds before the girl and her Pokemon will notice him - he must act now.)

_A Metal Coat_, she thinks, before gesturing at the small Pokemon. Graveler showers it with Rock Throw before Leaf tosses a Pokeball at it, smiling at the last _click_ that signals the capture.

(It is almost nice to be given the chance to kill the bitch who ruined him. He may never know how she destroyed the shipments to Johto or turned in some of his best underlings, but at least she will die alone.)

Excited, Leaf immediately examines her newest capture. Her heart leaps – an Electric/Steel Pokemon.

(His blue eyes narrow as he carefully aims for his target.)

Distracted, Leaf does not hear the soft _click _of a gun trigger being pulled back.

A boom sounds as the trigger is released, and there is a split-second where everything is okay and Steelix's face scrunches up in fear at the loud, sudden noise and Leaf laughs, because Steelix is a strong, proud Pokemon of steel and it is funny to think even the bulletproof can be intimidated.

But then the bullet hits Leaf square in the chest, and her vision goes black.

Before she hits the ground, Steelix and Graveler howl with rage and release a fury of attacks in the direction of the noise.

* * *

Leaf's vision slowly returns to her. She groans as she sits up. Steelix and Graveler hover above her, and although they are made of rock and steel, concern is etched in their features.

She glances at her PokeGear and determines she was unconscious for about twenty minutes.

A throaty laugh emits from the corner. "Concealed body armor, eh? Smart."

Leaf turns slowly – the body armor may have absorbed most of the blow, but her body still aches – and faces Archer.

Archer lies on a bed of rubble. A slab of concrete pins his crushed gun-bearing arm to the ground. His broken body is contorted, speckled and dashed with blood. Although the bed of rubble will soon be his death bed, his blue eyes are as blue as ever.

"Just tell me one thing…Why? Why did you target us?" Archer asks, and suddenly he looks less like an Executive of Team Rocket and more like a war-weary old man. He coughs, sending his failing body into spasms.

Leaf merely stares.

He does not recognize her.

He does not know that he tried to kill her.

He does not know that he crippled her starter Pokemon.

He is a man of too many monstrosities to remember the one that sealed his fate.

Despite the pain, Leaf stands up. She walks over to him, then kneels down so her eyes are just above his.

Although the two appear to be alone, Leaf knows her words will somehow reach Team Rocket.

"Because it was fun."

Archer is not the type of man to feel fear, so the last thing he knows is grudging respect coupled with some sort of reverence.

He coughs again. Then, Leaf still watching, Team Rocket Executive Archer dies without fanfare in the crumbled remains of an old power plant.

It is anti-climatic, unglamorous, and dull.

Archer is dead, but Leaf feels no sense of resolution; it seems like the beginning of a long, tedious story.

Team Rocket is still out there, still plotting, still killing. There are still Ariana, Petrel, and Proton – three more to go.

Leaf will finish what she started.

Her side pings, but Leaf ignores it. Not even Archer's gun can kill her – she has become bulletproof, just like her Pokemon.

Before she leaves, Leaf instructs Steelix to carve a shape into the concrete next to Archer's corpse. The symbol is simple – the outline of a leaf.

The police might not think much of it, but Team Rocket knows her name.

They will know she did this. They will know to fear her. They will know she is coming for them.

* * *

_One Day Later..._

When she calls Blue, she gets his answering machine. She is about to hang up, but Steelix, Blue's old Pokemon, nudges her. She sighs.

"Blue, it's me. I'm sorry I haven't been talking to you. There are things I have to do right now, things only I can do. We can't be in contact right now, it's too dangerous. I can't tell you where I am and what I'm doing, but one day I will and you'll understand. Just know one thing - you're the most stable, caring friend I have ever had, and I hope I'm not throwing that away."

She hangs up and smashes the phone to pieces.

* * *

**A/N:**

This is a somewhat rewritten version of a fic I previously posted and deleted. The original title was To Become Bulletproof, but this version expands on the "hermetic heart" part - Leaf distancing herself from Blue.

What did you think? I would really appreciate a review!


End file.
